Unconditional Love

Rating:
Summary: Total Wish Fulfillment
Review: "Unconditional Love" with Kathy Bates, Dan Akroyd Rupert Everett and Meredith Eaton is one of the most delightful films I've seen in a long time. Jonathan Price plays international singing sensation Victor Fox (what a voice) murdered in Chicago, plunging the English-speaking world into mourning, and his #1 Fan Kathy Bates into a serious of adventures so charming and fun -- I kept exclaiming "What a GREAT story!" She goes to England for her favorite singer's funeral, meets his family and his best friend/valet (actually lover) and ends up understanding who Victor really was, becomes embroiled in everyone's affairs, returns to Chicago with Rupert and attempts to catch the murderer of the singer -- hilarity ensues! Happy endings all around -- fantastic singing of old favorites, Barry Manilow and Julie Andrews in cameos. My heart was full after seeing it. I think any "homemaker" would feel identification with the charming Kathy and wish-fulfillment in her courage and adventures -- she even gets to fulfill a life-long dream of singing to a large group of people -- and WHAT a voice SHE has. Quotable quote: "A life lived in fear is not much fun." This emboldens Kathy to reach out to the world, not just observe life on TV, but to go places, do dangerous things, make new friends, embrace the world and in so doing, be insulted, console, problem solve, support others, laugh and lead others to triumph through her empathy, sincerity, creativity and loyalty to her friends. She was the perfect example of someone being "lifted out of her milieu." The B. Manilow tune "I can't laugh without you, can't cry without you, if you only knew what I'm going through, ..." is still playing in my head! Ignore the critics and enjoy this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Beware if nudgets ub red raubciats!
Review: .
A great film everyone should see!

This film will give you reason to be afraid of midgets in red raincoats for the rest of your life!

For reference to the above, and for yet another scary thrill, I recommend the film "Don't Look Now", in which we first discover why we should live in mortal fear of a "midget in a red raincoat"

Rating:
Summary: Unconditional Love for This Movie
Review: A common housewife seeks adventure after her husband leaves her. A Dead Pops stars gay lover seeks recogniton after his death. An unlikely trio stalks a serial killer. It may sound like three seperate movies, but P.J. Hogan's (Muriel's Wedding, My Best Friend's Wedding) Unconditional Love is a wonderful mish-mash of a movie that kept me howling.

Not everyone will love this movie. In fact, some will downright hate it, but I loved it. It received no theatrical release in the US (except for the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian film festival) and isn't set for DVD release until October, but the Starz Cable Movie network is now showing it, and boy am I glad. Not everything works in the film. The plots don't always gel, and you spend quite a bit of time trying to make sense of it all. Hogan is a bit self-indulgent, but if you trust him, and let go of your conventional idea of what a good movie should be, you'll have a hell of a lot of fun.

Bates is fantastic as a put-upon house wife Grace Beasely, who adores Pop Icon Victor Fox (Jonathan Pryce). Her husband (Dan Akroyd) tells her one morning that he doesn't have enough danger in his life, and he's leaving. Determined to start living herself, and at the urging of her dwarf daughter-in-law Maudey (ilariously portrayed by Meredith Eaton) Grace manages to score a ticket to a taping of his Christmas special. Unfortunately, that morning, Fox is found the victim of the Cross-bow Killer under the streets of Chicago.

Grace, pushed to a point of know return, decides to go to England for the singer's funeral. There she meets Dirk (Everet), his Valet and long-time companion. Dirk is holed up in the singers home, which is much in the demand of Victor's three sisters, who want to turn it into a Graceland like tourist shrine. The two form a strange bond, and decide to return to Chicago to find the serial killer and avenge his death, Dirk will claim his rightful in history place as Victor's companion, Grace will get her husband back, and maybe even Maudey will reconcile with her husband.

Yeah, that's a lot of movie. And to top it all off, there's Salley Jesse Raphael, Barry Manilow and Dame Julie Andrews to keep you on your toes. Despite all this, Hogan keeps it all going and the laughs coming. We all loved the singing numbers in Hogan's previous films (Abba, Dionne Warwick) and there's plenty of that here. It's off beat, so off beat that it's rhythm is hard to find, but that's all made up for by great performances.

Bates is central to this, and in her capable hands, the character of Grace walks a very thin line between pathetic and obnoxious, but gives her enough empathy and humor to make us route for her through it all. Everet again creates a wonderfully complex character that we start out not liking very much, but warm too as he peels back the layers. Lynn Redgrave and Stephanie Beacham are superb as two of Victor Fox's uptight sisters, and I can't say enough womderful things about Eaton. She scores with her fantastic delivery of the line: "Nobody messes with a dwarf in a red raincoat". With Everet and Bates, stalking the serial killer in the bowels of Chicago, the Housewife, Gay guy and Dwarf are a trio to be reckoned with.

I'll admit, it doesn't know what kind of movie it wants to be, but so what? It tells a great, funny, poignant, often corny (we're talking Barry Manilow and Julie Andrews here) story about people needing to find fulfillment and meaning in their lives. It all wraps up in sacharine sweet happy ending and a pseudo musical number that had me grinning from ear to ear.

It was also great to see again the wonderful country house used in Merchant Ivory's "Howard's End", which serves as Fox's much coveted childhood home.

Yes, it has it's it's faults, but I love it anyway. But, after all, isn't that what you would call Unconditional Love?

Rating:
Summary: Bravo Cathy Bates!
Review: A simple story of love and goodness rising above all else. Cathy Bates' character is all sunshine, sensitive and honest. Her pursuit of meaning in life gives meaning to all those around her. In her simple ways she inspries others to their own goodness, and finds satisfaction and a life worth living. Who cares if it's fluffy . . it's a feel good couple of hours and we can all use that . . at least I can . . .

Rating:
Summary: Unconditional pleasure
Review: Brilliantly put together, adorable actors with lovely appearances from Julie Andrews and Richard Briers. Wonderful irony and innuendo. A film that even self-absorbed teenagers can enjoy, not least of all because of the beauty of Rupert Everett. Full marks for reviving music that has stood the test of time. A joy to hear Jonathan Price and Kathy Bates sing.

Rating:
Summary: Kathy Sings
Review: First let me say I love Kathy Bates. This is at least as good as Misery or Fried Green Tomatoes if not better. She is particularly good in the scenes where she must have a flat effect. From pathos to suspence to comedy this movie has it all. I was hysterical for the Sundance scene. And then Kathy sings. I have heard her with small bits but in this one she really cuts loose. From softly singing to herself to making the rafters ring and she is really very good. The supporting cast does a marvelous job. The only thing that bothered me was the "Fox" singing numbers - the chorograghy was not the best. It was stiff and abrupt, not like I have seen him move before. After you find out that his character was [homosexual] it could make sense. This is a welcome addition to my collection.

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME
Review: Good plots too often get lost in the tangle of special effects and action that tends to dominate movies today. This movie is a return to the simple way. It is completely well written with a great plot and a lot of profound realizations from the protagonists that could teach us all a thing or two. Very well done! Bravo!!!

Rating:
Summary: Bravo
Review: Grant it this movie starts out slowly. You start to wonder whether it was best left on the shelf and then..... Then she goes to England and your laughing for the rest of the movie. Well done Kathy Bates, Rupart Everett and extra points to Meredith Eaton.... Anyone not liking this movie lacks a sense of humor...

Rating:
Summary: A Happy Surprise of a Movie
Review: Having never heard of this movie when it was in general release (if it ever was) it seemed a good Saturday evening diversion type story. Once the film begins and it is apparent that the director is P.J. Hogan who has created such fun and sensitive stories as MURIEL'S WEDDING and MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING, then the gentle humor and touching messages are welcome and anticipated. With a cast that includes sterling performances by the always excellent Kathy Bates, Rupert Everett, Jonathan Pryce, and Lynn Redgrave, the impact is one of polished comedy and sincere pathos blended as well as Hogan has done in the past. Hogan likes to touch on issues such as 'different' people, be those differences as in gender identity, physical stature ( small person Meredith Eaton is a beautiful and gifted actress), or social mores. Briefly, Kathy Bates plays a housewife who fantasizes an affair with a popular British singer (Jonathan Pryce - who not only acts well but is given the opprtunity to share his significant vocal talents in person and on the soundtrack of the film). Her husband of 25 years (Dan Ackroyd) announces to her that their marriage is over because Bates is boring. That same day her idol is killed and she decides to go to England for the funeral! Once there she intrudes into the house of her fantasy man only to discover that he was gay and has a lover of 10 years (Rupert Everett) who is being ostracized by the singers' family. Persistance and happenstance throw these two together and the resultant bi-continental declaration for revenge of the death of their shared hero (with a lot of help form Bates' daughter-in-law Meredith Eaton) forms the bulk of the tale. Along the way they encounter the real life Julie Andrews, Sally Jessy Raphael, and Barry Manilow in what could have been a pushed overindulgence, but Hogan keeps the tempo down so that these guests appearances maintain the jolly mood of this fluffy but warmly entertaining movie. Definitely a feel good film!

Rating:
Summary: Fun
Review: Hogan directs a fun little movie like he did with Muriel's Wedding. Bates is great and Everett is funny (as always) a fun movie to kill the time. You wont be disappointed.